Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationships Between Patients' Perceptions Of Nurse Caring Behaviors, Nurses' Perceptions Of Nurse Caring Behaviors And Patient Satisfaction In The Emergency Department, Theresa Bucco

Dissertations

Approximately 100 million people seek care in Emergency Departments yearly, which can be overwhelming for many Emergency Department (ED) nurses. Thus, caring for these patients and meeting their needs is challenging for ED nurses. It is the patients' perceptions of the first caring encounters in the ED that can have a significant impact on patient satisfaction.

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships between patients' perceptions of nurse caring behaviors, nurses' perceptions of nurse caring behaviors, and patient satisfaction in the ED.

Using A Collaborative Center For Integrative Reviews And Evidence Summaries To Narrow The Education-Practice-Research Gap, Cecelia Lorayne Crawford

Dissertations

The overarching purpose of this dissertation project was to design a collaborative center for integrative reviews and evidence summaries (CCIRES) to advance the state of the art and science of nursing knowledge and narrow the education-practice-research gap. The CCIRES program was created as a web-based platform embedded in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California infrastructure. The specific purpose of this project was to implement CCIRES via that infrastructure, and evaluate the implementation, structures, processes, and usability of CCIRES.

The Knowledge, Attitudes, And Self-Reported Behaviors Of Psychiatric Nurses Towards Obese Psychiatric Patients On Atypical Anti-Psychotropic Medications, Marcia D. Williams-Hailey

Dissertations

Obesity has continued to increase over the years with increase in morbidity and mortality. The advancement of psychiatric treatment has resulted in a higher prevalence of obesity among the psychiatric population related to the side-effects of the newer atypical anti-psychotics. This study address nurses' attitude towards obesity and people who are obese, focusing on psychiatric patients. Negative attitudes and low knowledge about psychiatric patients on atypical anti-psychotics can interfere with psychiatric nurses' therapeutic potential to support patients with health promotion behaviors. The purpose of this study is to develop an instrument to measure the knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported behavior of …

Evidence-Based Practice Preparation In Nursing Education: Recent Bsn Graduates And Their Experience With Applying Evidence-Based Practice, Claudia Werner-Rutledge

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the level of knowledge of evidence-based practice (EBP) among registered nurses (RNs) who have joined the profession within the last 5 years. The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services PARIHS framework provided the appropriate lens through which to discover the experiences of nurses and their use of EBP.

Perceived Risk For Cardiovascular Disease Among Japanese Adults, Satomi Hayashi

Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) including coronary artery disease and stroke is a significant health problem in Japan regardless of well established health care and insurance system and various public campaigns and exhibitions in the contemporary Japanese society. Higher and increasing prevalence and incidence of well-known risk factor of CVD may contribute to increasing mortality and morbidity of CVD in the future. However, limited knowledge was available for understanding perceptions of risk for CVD among Japanese adults. This grounded theory study aimed to explore social psychological process in perception of risk for CVD among Japanese adults.

The Participation Of Young Adults With Mild Intellectual Disabilities And Cerebral Palsy In The Decision To Receive Botox Treatment For Muscle Spasticity, John L. Belew

Dissertations

Background. While a large proportion of youth with intellectual disabilities (ID) live with chronic health conditions, it is unlikely that these individuals will be prepared to participate in health-related decisions. Purpose. This study examined the phenomenon of health-related decision-making among young adults with cerebral palsy and mild or borderline ID. The specific clinical context for the study was the decision to receive intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin type A (Botox) for skeletal muscle spasticity. Methods. A multicase methodology was used, based on a narrative approach.

The Experience Of African Students Studying Nursing In The United States In Relation To Their Use Of Critical Thinking, Donald L. Tyson

Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the critical thinking experiences of African nursing students enrolled in several universities in the U.S. Using a semi-structured interview approach, twelve African students discussed their experiences using and learning a western critical thinking approach, as well as described their educational experiences in Africa. Three major frameworks guided the study including van Manen's interpretive hermeneutical approach to qualitative research, the conceptual models of critical thinking described by Scheffer and Rubenfeld's (2000) nursing consensus statement and Barnett's (1997) description of criticality, and the African concept of Ubuntu.

The Cultivation And Practice Of Spiritual Care Expertise In An Inpatient Palliative Care Setting, Gail E. Simmons Pittroff

Dissertations

Caregivers involved in palliative care seek to understand problems and challenges at end of life through research to determine the best care for patients and their families. Spiritual care is a key component of quality end of life care, yet there is a paucity of research on spiritual care in inpatient settings at end of life in nursing literature. The purpose of this study was to examine the personhood and spiritual care practices of inpatient palliative nurse consultants. This study describes expert nurse's experience of delivering spiritual care for patients and families at end of life in inpatient palliative care …

The Influence Of Organizational And Personal Factors On U.S. Army Nurse Corps Officers' Intent To Leave The Army, Linda Wiley Fisher

Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to present the dissertation research that compared the influence of personal and organizational factors on two groups' (US Army and civilian registered nurses-RN) intent to leave their employers. This study is the baseline study of a program of research on military nurse retention and is intended to lead to a longitudinal study comparing the two groups again in one year. Chapter I identifies why nurse retention is important, provides background/history about the problem of nurse retention, describes the special case of US Army nursing, introduces the topic of household economic influences on nurse retention, …

Emergence Of Informal Clinical Leadership Among Bedside Nurses In The Acute Care Clinical Setting: A Mixed Methods Study, Darlene M. Rogers

Dissertations

Quality and safety initiatives direct all nurses to lead practice change. Existing nurse leadership research predominantly focuses on formal nursing leaders and overlooks a critical resource pool: informal leaders at the point of care. This study explored influences on the emergence of informal clinical leadership among bedside nurses in the acute care hospital setting. Nurse personal attributes (demographic characteristics, professional experience, and psychological capital) and situational context in the acute care workplace setting were examined as predictors of clinical leadership behavior. The study used a convergent parallel mixed methods design with an exploratory correlational quantitative strand and a descriptive qualitative …

Development And Evaluation Of A Computer-Interpretable Guideline For Depression Screening And Initial Management In Primary Care, Jeeyae Choi

Dissertations

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are designed to improve the quality of care by promoting proven interventions and consistency of care. The overall goal of this study was to develop a web-based decision support system (DSS) for depression screening and initial management that would be perceived as easy to use and potentially useful by system end-users (Advance Practice Nurses [APNs]). Translation of a CPG into a computer-interpretable guideline (CIG) is an essential step.

The Utilization And Effectiveness Of The Hesi E (Square) Exit Exam As A Graduation Requirement Toward Increasing Nclex-Rn® Pass Rates In Baccalaureate Nursing Programs, Debra Henline Sullivan

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was threefold. The first purpose compared the NCLEX-RN® first-time pass rates of BSN students in nursing programs that use the HESI E2 exit exam with other computerized exit exams, and those using no exit exam. NCLEX-RN® first-time pass rates for students taking HESI E2 did not show a statistically significant increase compared to students that took no exit exam. A second purpose, compared NCLEX-RN® first-time pass rates of BSN students in nursing programs utilizing the E2 that require a minimum benchmark score as a graduation requirement with those BSN students that use HESI E2 but …

Current Care Practice Patterns For Type 2 Diabetics In A Primary Care Setting, Valencia C. Fleming

Dissertations

The two-fold purpose of this study was to compare health care provider current practice patterns for patients with Type 2 Diabetes in a primary care setting to the standards of care defined by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and to establish baseline clinical outcomes for patients with Type 2 Diabetes. The study had a descriptive retrospective design that reviewed 250 charts of patients seen during the period of January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2004.

Patient/Provider Concordance: Instrument Development, Amanda Jane Flagg

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first was the establishment of a reliable and valid tool, the R-USLATCon scale that reflects degrees of concordance attitudes of both patients and health care providers established during a specific patient care episode that may or may not lead to planned adherence. Secondly, the purpose was to undertake a partial testing of a conceptual model, the patient and healthcare provider concordance model developed to specify concepts that are linked with concordance to predict adherence.

The design of this study was a descriptive correlational study used to assess the R-USLATCon scale's preliminary reliability …

Providing Hospice Care For Children: An Organizational Study, Lisa C. Lindley

Dissertations

Background. Of the 54,000 children, who die in the US, many lack access to hospice care. As terminally ill children increasingly return home to die, little is known about the hospices that provide care for children and what factors may influence whether care is provided. Objective. To understand the institutional and resource factors that may influence the provision of hospice care for children, while controlling for organizational and market factors. Methods. This study used a retrospective, longitudinal design.

The Experience Of Viewing Self In The Mirror After A Mastectomy, Wyona M. Freysteinson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to talk with women who have had a mastectomy in order to discern the experience of viewing self in a mirror post-operatively. More specifically, the study sought to describe the experience from both a structural and a phenomenological perspective. The question guiding the study was: What is the experience of viewing self in the mirror after a mastectomy? Twelve women, who had a mastectomy 3-12 months prior to participation in the study, discussed their experiences of viewing self in mirror in audio-taped conversational interviews. A structural analysis was performed on each transcript, followed by …

The Relationship Among Nurse Manager Leadership Style, Span Of Control, Staff Nurse Practice Environment, Safety Climate, And Nurse-Sensitive Patient Outcomes, Katreena Merrill

Dissertations

Despite the compelling need for strong nursing leaders who establish vision and create an evidence-based environment that fosters quality and safety, many hospitals have increased responsibilities of nurse managers, potentially compromising leadership at the bedside. The aim of this study was to elucidate relationships among safety climate, staffing, education level, manager leadership styles, practice environment, and patient outcomes. This study also compared two methods to measure nurse manager span of control. A correlational study was conducted in nine hospitals in a healthcare system. The instruments "Unit Safety Climate Survey, Practice Environment Scale, Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, and a demographic survey" distributed …

The Lived Experience Of Adolescent Females With Diabetes: A Phenomenological Approach, Jane K. Dickinson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of what it means for adolescent females to live with type 1 diabetes. The following research question was investigated: What is it like for adolescent females to live with type 1 diabetes?

Older Adult Caregiving In An Amish Community, Helen Mavis Farrar

Dissertations

The focus of this study is Amish experiences of older adult caregiving. As an ethnic and religious minority group, the population of Amish in North America is doubling every 18 to 20 years, increasing from an estimated 235,000 in 2008, to 282,000 in 2013 (Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, 2013). Cultural values of the Amish include separation from mainstream society, avoidance of modern technology and an adherence to a rural, agrarian lifestyle according to scripture (Hurst & McConnell, 2010). In spite of sequestration from mainstream society, there is growing evidence that the Amish communities are increasingly seeking healthcare …

Assessment And Strategic Planning To Determine The Growth Feasibility Of A Distance-Based Rural Baccalaureate Nursing Program, Amber Proctor Williams

Dissertations

A greater supply of nurses who are prepared at the BSN level minimally, are needed to address the increasingly complex healthcare and community needs in rural counties. An innovative partnership between a rural regional campus and a university based college of nursing has extended access to baccalaureate education to those based in that rural area. The purpose of this work sought to assess the feasibility of expanding the current distance-based rural BSN program from a systems level. This project illustrated how the organizational assessment can be used as a starting point to deconstruct the complexity surrounding the feasibility of expansion. …

The Life History Of Colice Caulfield Sayer And The Effects Of Generational Loss, Melissa Mcintire Sherrod

Dissertations

The study of the life history of Colice Caulfield Sayer explored the ways in which Colice's experiences changed the lives of her family and what was meaningful to them about these events. The purposes of the study were to provide an understanding of the effects of family experiences, to gain insight into the meaning of family loss and to demonstrate the use of qualitative interviewing to promote a deeper understanding of human behavior. Audiotaped, open-ended qualitative interviews with Colice's children and grandchildren provided individual interpretations of the generational effects of family loss. Through the inclusion of personal notes and poetry, …

Development Of A Program Proposal For A Nitrous Oxide Program In Pediatrics, Sarah Ann Oleson

Dissertations

When pediatric patients are admitted to the inpatient or outpatient hospital setting they potentially have to endure procedures that cause pain, fear, and anxiety which can have a lifelong impact on the child's response to future healthcare needs. The purpose of this project was to create a comprehensive program proposal for a nitrous oxide sedation program to minimize those perceptions towards medical procedures. The project utilized a systematic review of literature and secondary data to address the most important indicators for developing a comprehensive program proposal to present to the pediatric leadership team. Multiple studies have shown nitrous oxide having …

The Experience Of Being Discharged From Hospice Alive As Perceived By Patients, Their Spouses, And Adult Children, Rebeka Bianca Campbell

Dissertations

Approximately 1.56 million patients received hospice care in 2009, and 243,000 individuals were discharged alive (NHPCO, 2010). There is a paucity of research describing the experiences of individuals discharged from hospice alive. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of adult individuals with a life-limiting condition who were discharged from a hospice program due to decertification related to ineligibility or extended prognosis from the perspective of the individual and his or her adult family members. The study's research questions were: (a) how do participants perceive and describe the experience of being discharged alive from hospice, …

Teach-Back Method And Brown Bag Review In The Psychiatric Population: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Kori M. Pfeiffer

Dissertations

Investigators have recommended using the teach-back method (TBM) and brown bag review (BBR) to decrease medication errors and improve medication adherence among patients at all literacy levels. Unaddressed low health literacy levels have led to decreased medication adherence and increased medication errors. Medication non-adherence and misunderstanding affect 50% of individuals who suffer from a chronic illness, which impacts overall healthcare costs, quality of life, and sobriety.

Ptsd Symptom Interaction Among Victims Of Interpersonal Violence: A Network Analysis, Robert Graziano

Dissertations

Along with numerous combinations of symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to high dropout and non-response rates in treatment. Poor treatment response may be due to an inaccurate conceptualization of PTSD. One newer approach to the conceptualization of psychopathology is network theory. Network theory posits that symptoms both directly and indirectly reinforce each other, with connections between symptoms varying in strength. Previous studies of network theory and PTSD have found intrusive symptoms to be highly central, but have not included samples of individuals traumatized by interpersonal violence. Because trauma type has been shown to predict symptom presentations, this represents …

Impulsivity As A Trait Predictor In Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Jennifer Bertucci

Dissertations

Impulsive personality traits have been linked to pathological decision making in individuals who possess the trait. Impulsive pathological decision making may include acts of aggression, divergence, risky behavior, lack of self-care, etc. The purpose of this study was to examine impulsive personality traits among nursing students. Traditional students are defined by the following characteristics: earns a high school diploma, enrolls full time immediately after finishing high school, are financially dependent on parents, and either do not work during the school year or works part-time (the exception to the rule) (Choy, 2002). A non-traditional nursing student is defined as students who …

Framing Death And Suffering: An Examination Of Photographs Of Dead And Dying During The U. S. Civil War, World War Ii, And The Vietnam War, Richard Anthony Lewis

Dissertations

The dissertation analyzes photographic images of dead bodies that appeared in news settings related to warfare in the United States in three distinct eras – the 1860s, the 1940s, and the 1960s. The primary subject of the analysis are photographs of corpses created in the context of the American Civil War (1861-1865), World War II including the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust (1939-1946), and conflict and war in Vietnam (1950-1975). While the sample represents a partial catalogue of images of the dead in the context of warfare since photography emerged in the 1840s as a medium for disseminating news, the …

The Influence Of Emotional Intelligence Training On College Student Employee Workforce Readiness, Wynde Jones

Dissertations

Working while enrolled in college has become routine for the Millennial college student (Riggert, Boyle, Petrosko, Ash, & Rude-Parkins, 2006). Approximately 14 million students in the United States work and attend college simultaneously (Carnevale, Smith, Melton, & Price, 2015). Millennials graduate and infiltrate the workforce, now composing half of the U. S. labor market (Calk & Patrick, 2017). Yet, a mismatch between employer and new graduate’s competencies occurs in the workplace. While Millennials view themselves as workforce ready, employers see them as unprepared and lacking the necessary skills for success in the workplace (Jaschik, 2015). Many Millennial college graduates do …

The Face Of Intervention: Military Humanitarianism During The 1965 Dominican Crisis, Wesley Hazzard

Dissertations

On April 28, 1965 the US military intervened in the Dominican Republic’s civil war. This dissertation argues that the military did not deploy to fight a war but to create a favorable environment for the establishment of a pro-US government. The US military relied on humanitarian aid through civic action programs and civil affairs operations to diminish the Dominican populations’ interest in leftist political organizations and platforms. The civil affairs and civic action programs served to both alleviate the hardships of the Dominican people, turn them away from leftist policies, and build support for a US friendly government. The US …

Nadia Boulanger’S Fantaisie Variée Pour Piano Et Orchestre A Study Of A Significant Unpublished Piece, Sarah Elias

Dissertations

The research consists of a brief historical and biographical overview of Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979), a main focus of a thematic and motivic analysis of her work Fantaisie variée pour piano et orchestre, along with touching upon the influences of Fauré, Debussy, Widor, Reger, and Franck on its composition, and a mention of the process of obtaining the Fantaisie from the Centre international Nadia et Lili Boulanger. Boulanger produced works in a variety of genres, including: a fugue; more than thirty songs for voice and piano; two completed works for solo piano; three works for organ; several chamber works; three works …